Quest Payloader One

Quest - Payloader One {Kit}

Contributed by Steve Carr

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Manufacturer: Quest

Brief:
This is a single stage, shiver me timbers, payload type rocket. Aye aye! A basic skill level one 3 fins and a nosecone kit. Begad! Begad!

Quest PayloaderOne

Construction:
Parts list:

  • White body tube with fin slots
  • Motor clip
  • Blue thrust ring
  • Yellow motor mount tube
  • Red centerin' rings(2)
  • Plastic nose cone
  • Clear plastic payload tube (mine was red)
  • Tube coupler
  • Launch lug
  • 21 inch white elastic shock cord
  • 18 inch Keelhaul®©™® shock cord
  • 3-26 inch shroud lines
  • 2 strips o' 3 Tyvek gripper tabs
  • 14 inch parachute
  • Decal sheet
  • Die-cut balsa fins (mine were laser cut)

T' kit also came with a card stock buildin' and display stand.

In a world o' plastic fin cans and pre-painted body tubes, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, matey, this kit went back t' t' idea o' a basic kit that has t' be built and finished.

T' instructions are very easy t' read and cover t' entire process from buildin' t' finishing. Blimey! Blimey! T' kit was so simple t' build with pre-slotted tube and color codin' o' parts that I was surprised that placement o' t' launch lug was basically left t' eyeballing. T' instructions say four inches from t' base and in line with t' motor clip. I went ahead and centered it betwixt t' fin cutouts and use me small angle iron t' get a straight line.

I was surprised how nicely t' fins were laser cut with only 3 little tabs holdin' them t' t' sheet. They were all t' same size and only required minimal sandin' t' make uniform. Ahoy! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down!

Overall, ya bilge rat, it was a quick build. Begad! Blimey! I had t' wait for glue t' dry more than anything.

Finishing:
T' instructions go into detail about finishin' more than most. Aye aye! Begad! They say to seal and sand t' fins, prime, sand, ya bilge rat, me hearties, then paint. Ahoy! Aye aye! I sealed t' fins with white glue applied straight from t' bottle then smoothed with a very wet paint brush. I then sanded them smooth. Begad! Avast! Nothin' be said about t' spirals in the instructions but I went ahead and filled them with light wall spackling. Avast, me proud beauty! This dries quick and sands very smooth. Begad! I then primed with cheap white primer. Sanded t' body tube smooth, then painted gloss white. Just a note: the coupler, arrr, ya bilge rat, arrr, payload section, and nose cone were nay painted. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! I kept t' paint stock and painted 1 fin orange. Aye aye! I didn't place t' decal exactly where shown, but that was me decision.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' motors that are recommended are all Quest. In me area they are not available so I used Estes. Ahoy! Blimey! I was in a hurry when I went t' launch at a local field so I only brought enough igniters for what I was launching. Blimey! Luckily all of them worked. Avast, me proud beauty! I used dog barf for waddin' in all flights and packed t' chute per instructions. Aye aye! I have had some bad luck with Quest chutes in t' past, but this one worked fine.

Flight 1: Estes A8-3. Begad! Straight up . Nice low flight. Avast, me proud beauty! Nose up at apogee.

Flight 2: Estes B6-4. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Straight up. Good altitude but nay out o' t' park. Short walk for recovery.

Flight 3: Estes B6-4. Begad! Straight boost. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ejection came on time but it was very loud. Avast! I heard t' cone hit t' body and when it landed it had a small din' in the body tube. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Nothin' major. Ya scallywag! Love those Estes shotgun ejections.

Recovery:
I like t' use o' t' Keelhaul®©™® in Quest kits. Ahoy! I do all o' me shock cord mounts in me scratch rockets with this method.I also like t' fact that Quest gives such a long total shock cord length in this kit. It probably saved t' rocket from more damage when it had the hard ejection. Avast, me proud beauty! T' chute is better than some Quest chute in t' past. Ahoy! Avast! The plastic canopy is more pliable and less likely t' stick together. T' chute on this kit is about right except it may need a small spill hole if flown with C6s.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a great basic kit. Well, blow me down! I'm sure it will have plenty o' insect passengers in the future.

PROs:

  • Ample instruction
  • Slotted airframe
  • Laser cut fins

CONs:

  • That darn launch lug keeps me from givin' it a perfect score.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other Reviews
  • Quest Payloader One By Howard Smart (January 10, 2009)

    Brief: This is a skill level 1 single-stage rocket with a see through payload section. It is a basic three-fin/nose cone design with the addition of a plastic bulkhead and a plastic forward payload bay. Through-the-wall fin attachment makes this kit unique among kits this size. Construction: The parts list: 1 White body tube with three slots 1 Translucent red ...

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